| Electric charge concentration type droplet dispensing device having nonconductive capillary nozzle -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Electric charge concentration type droplet dispensing device having nonconductive capillary nozzleUSPTO Application #: 20080017736Title: Electric charge concentration type droplet dispensing device having nonconductive capillary nozzle Abstract: Provided is a droplet dispensing device having a nonconductive capillary nozzle. The droplet dispensing device comprises: a nonconductive capillary nozzle disposed in a downward position; a pump connected with the nonconductive capillary nozzle through a hermetically sealed fluid tube and generating a negative pressure to decrease the influence of gravity on a solution within the nonconductive capillary nozzle and the fluid tube; and an open circuit voltage supplier applying a voltage to the solution. The droplet dispensing device supplies the solution by capillary force to regularly maintain the shape of a droplet surface in the tip of the nonconductive capillary nozzle without using a separate driving device. (end of abstract) Agent: Cantor Colburn, LLP - Bloomfield, CT, US Inventors: Beom-seok LEE, Jeong-gun LEE, Hye-jung CHO USPTO Applicaton #: 20080017736 - Class: 2396901 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080017736. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION [0001]This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0068407, filed on Jul. 21, 2006, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0013979, filed on Feb. 9, 2007, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119, the content of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]1. Field of the Invention [0003]The present invention relates to an electric charge concentration (ECC) type droplet dispensing device having a nonconductive capillary nozzle. [0004]2. Description of the Related Art [0005]A droplet dispensing device is a device that discharges very small droplets of a solution on a substrate, a film, a recoding medium, or the like. There are various methods of discharging droplets. For example, an inkjet method is used in an inkjet printer. However, in the inkjet method, a solution (e.g., ink) is heated, and thus, the method is not suitable for discharging a thermally sensitive solution. Specifically, when droplets of a solution containing biomolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, biocells, viruses, bacteria, and the like, are discharged in the fabrication of biochips, a droplet dispensing device capable of discharging the droplets without heating the solution is advantageous. [0006]A device for discharging droplets of a picoliter size using ultrasonic energy has been developed by Labcyte Inc. However, there remains a need for a droplet dispensing device that has better durability and high operation speed, and can discharge droplets of uniform size, and be miniaturized. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007]Provided herein is a droplet dispensing device capable of discharging fine droplets in response to an electrical control signal using an immersed electrode and a nonconductive capillary nozzle. [0008]Also provided herein is a droplet dispensing device capable of regularly maintaining the shape of the droplet surface in the tip of the nozzle without using a separate driving device by preventing the influence of gravity on the capillary nozzle and supplying the solution by capillary force. [0009]According to an embodiment, there is provided a droplet dispensing device comprising: a nonconductive capillary nozzle disposed in a downward direction; a pump connected with the nonconductive capillary nozzle through a hermetically sealed fluid tube and generating a negative pressure to decrease the influence of gravity on a solution within the nonconductive capillary nozzle and the fluid tube; and an open circuit voltage supplier applying a voltage to the solution. [0010]In order to apply a voltage to the solution, for example, an electrode may be immersed in the solution within the fluid tube and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier. An electrode may be disposed within the nonconductive capillary nozzle and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier. Alternatively, a second electrode may be immersed in the solution within the fluid tube or the nonconductive capillary nozzle and a first electrode may be disposed outside the fluid tube or the nonconductive capillary nozzle and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier to generate induced electric force to the second electrode. The inside diameter of the fluid tube may be larger than the inside diameter of the nonconductive capillary nozzle. [0011]The droplet dispensing device may further comprise a solution reservoir between the fluid tube and the nonconductive capillary nozzle. In this case, an electrode may be immersed within the solution reservoir and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier. Also, a second electrode may be immersed in the solution within the solution reservoir and a first electrode may be disposed outside the solution reservoir and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier to generate an induced electric force to the second electrode. [0012]At least an inner wall of the nonconductive capillary nozzle may be hydrophilic and a tip portion of the nonconductive capillary nozzle may comprise a tip coating portion formed of a hydrophobic material, if necessary. [0013]The pump may be a syringe pump. In this case, the syringe pump may be maintained in a position so that the solution is drawn up in the fluid tube or the solution reservoir. [0014]According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a droplet dispensing device comprising: a solution reservoir; at least one nonconductive capillary nozzle disposed in a downward direction with respect to the solution reservoir; a pump connected to the solution reservoir through a hermetically sealed fluid tube and generating a negative pressure to decrease the influence of gravity on a solution within the nonconductive capillary nozzle and the solution reservoir; and an open circuit voltage supplier applying a voltage to the solution. [0015]Herein, in order to apply a voltage to the solution, an electrode may be immersed within the solution reservoir and connected with the open circuit type voltage supplier. Alternatively, an electrode may be immersed within the nonconductive capillary nozzle and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier. Also, a second electrode may be immersed in the solution within the solution reservoir and a first electrode may be disposed outside the solution reservoir and connected with the open circuit type voltage supplier to generate an induced electric force to the second electrode. [0016]At least an inner wall of the nonconductive capillary nozzle may be hydrophilic and a tip portion of the nonconductive capillary nozzle may comprise a tip coating portion formed of a hydrophobic material, if necessary. [0017]The pump may be a syringe pump. In this case, the syringe pump may be maintained in a position so that the solution is drawn up to the fluid tube or the solution reservoir. [0018]According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a droplet dispensing device comprising: a plurality of droplet dispensing units, each droplet dispensing unit comprising: a solution reservoir and a nonconductive capillary nozzle disposed in a downward direction with respect to the droplet dispensing unit; a pump connected to the solution reservoirs through a hermetically sealed fluid tube and generating a negative pressure to decrease the influence of gravity on solutions within the droplet dispensing units; and an open circuit voltage supplier applying a voltage to the solutions within the droplet dispensing units. [0019]Herein, in order to apply a voltage to the solution, electrodes may be immersed in the solutions within the solution reservoirs and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier. Alternatively, electrodes may be immersed in the solutions within the nonconductive capillary nozzle and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier. The droplet dispensing device may further comprise a switching unit selectively connecting some of the immersed electrodes with the open circuit type voltage supplier. [0020]Also, a plurality of second electrodes may be immersed in the solutions within the solution reservoirs, and a plurality of first electrodes may be disposed outside the solution reservoirs and connected with the open circuit voltage supplier to generate an induced electric force to the second electrodes. The droplet dispensing device may further comprise a switching unit selectively connecting some of the first electrodes with the open circuit voltage supplier. [0021]At least inner walls of the nonconductive capillary nozzles may be hydrophilic and each of the tip portions of the nonconductive capillary nozzles may comprise a tip coating portion formed of a hydrophobic material, if necessary. Continue reading... Full patent description for Electric charge concentration type droplet dispensing device having nonconductive capillary nozzle Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Electric charge concentration type droplet dispensing device having nonconductive capillary nozzle patent application. Patent Applications in related categories: 20080203198 - Apparatus and method for controlling an electrostatically induced liquid spray - A method for controlling an electrostatically induced liquid spray includes the steps of: (1) generating a liquid spray from a liquid sample with an electrostatic spray nozzle device using an applied electric field, wherein at least a nozzle portion of the spray device is formed of an insulating material; (2) ... ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Electric charge concentration type droplet dispensing device having nonconductive capillary nozzle or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: A multifunction shower head Next Patent Application: Food cutting device Industry Class: Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Electric charge concentration type droplet dispensing device having nonconductive capillary nozzle patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.40204 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers |
||
